Thank you for sharing this! There it is: dwarves are not heroes, but calculating folk with a great idea of the value of money; some are tricky and treacherous and pretty bad lots; some are not, but are decent enough people like Thorin and Company, if you don't expect too much.

"Ah, how ironic, the addictive qualities of Sauronís master weapon led to its own destruction. Which just goes to show, kids - if you want two small and noble souls to succeed on a mission of dire importance... send an evil-minded beggar with them too." - Gandalf's Diaries, final par, by Ufthak.

This is Mark Gee's website. http://markg.com.au/ Under the comments he mentions where he got the music.

He also has some amazing photos of New Zealand night skies. Before I came here the first time, my uncle, a photographer who'd been here, said, "When you're camping in the South Island, go outside your tent at night and look up." I've gotta get away from Wellington City lights and go over the hill to Cape Palliser, clearly!

Years ago I arrived at a washed-out state highway at the Awakino Gorge - an hour either way from any town - around midnight. When I got out of the car I looked up, and was stunned by just how many stars we could see. Celebrimbor: "Pretty rings..." Dwarves: "Pretty rings..." Men: "Pretty rings..." Sauron: "Mine's better."

"Ah, how ironic, the addictive qualities of Sauronís master weapon led to its own destruction. Which just goes to show, kids - if you want two small and noble souls to succeed on a mission of dire importance... send an evil-minded beggar with them too." - Gandalf's Diaries, final par, by Ufthak.

The first time I saw the South Island night sky was when we were tent camping, as it happened. At 2:00 am I was grousing and grumbling about having to climb out of my bag and out of the tent and walk to the far end of the campground to use the facilities. I crawled out, looked up and gasped loudly, "Oh, s...!" Then I made husband crawl out, too, and we both sat there stunned, just gazing into the Universe. I can still see it in my mind's eye.